Searching With My Good Eye Closed
by ViciousBluesummers
Summary: AU: I'll never be good at summaries, so here's the quick rundown: Gray and Juvia are in a band together and they are about to blow up! Juvia has also been in love with Gray for a while now; since the inception of the band, actually. Obviously, drama will follow. You may not believe me, but I think the story is better than what the premise implies. Why don't you see for yourself?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **I sent one of my readers (NollyLvn!) a message saying that I don't have time, nor the ability to juggle more than one story, even though I have more than one idea in my head for Gruvia fics. I wasn't lying when I said that, and all of that remains true.

But you know what? I thought 'fuck it!' Let me get one more out there just for the hell of it. I probably won't give it as much attention as my main fic ('The Kings of Magnolia'), but I'd rather have it out there before someone else does it and I kick myself for not having the guts to execute on my ideas.

I hope you enjoy this new little project I've started. I probably shouldn't be doing this, but whatever. Sometimes you just can't help yourself.

**Searching With My Good Eye Closed**

Prologue: Show Night

Gray Fullbuster was focused. His eyes scanned the crowd that occupied the large club. From the incredibly vast floor space, to the occupants standing on the second floor and those sitting in balcony seats, a few hundred people, easily, were in attendance there that night. It's the most people Gray had seen at any of his band's shows. And ever since his four-piece rock group, Ice Make Unlimited, had just signed on to a major label, he had been mentally preparing himself for performing at venues that would house even more people eager to listen to his music.

They had been performing for over an hour now, and it seemed like the sonic assault of the heavy guitar music had begun to wear out at least some of the crowd. But he did see others that seemed like they had just gotten their night started. This humored Gray. He loved to see the many reactions and faces of the crowd. It's one of the things he loved about performing live. He loved it almost as much as writing music himself. He knew what kind of effect music had on him, and as a performer he could see the effect that his music had on others. The experience put Gray in a euphoric state.

"Alright, let's fuck them up!" Gray heard his drummer, Natsu Dragneel, yell.

Gray began to stroke the ominous, opening chords to the next song they were about to perform on his guitar. The sound emanating from wall of amps and speakers filled the entire club, and, as if it were a signal, the crowd roared with excitement. They were ready for what was to come.

As his fingers continued to gently send the pick they held up and down on the strings of his instrument, the shirtless front man walked over to his bass player.

"You ready?" he asked her.

The bluenette, Juvia Lockser, looked back into his intense gaze and matched it with her own. "Of course, Gray-sama." She nodded.

"Good." He smirked and walked back over towards his spot in the middle of the stage. He gave his lead guitarist, Gajeel Redfox, a nod. The man returned it, signaling that he was ready to begin. And he did by including his guitar noise into the mix.

"Okay then…" Gray whispered to himself. He approached the microphone stand and addressed the anxious crowd. "This one is off the new record. I hope you enjoy it…" he said it in a way that betrayed his real feelings. It came off as cold, but he was genuinely excited to see how the audience would react to the next track they were about to get into.

Gray's playing shifted gears, from gentle to adamant and not so long after that, the distorted sound of Juvia's bass kicked in, and what followed was the crashing of Natsu's heavy drumming.

The song was in motion and Gray added the only missing part of the composition, his words.

_Painted blue across my eyes  
_

_And tied the linen on  
_

_And I'm on my way_

_On my way…_

Juvia joined in and echoed the last line Gray had sung with her softer, more feminine voice. Some of the crowd went a little nutty, in a good way, at hearing Juvia's vocals. This was the first time anyone, meaning fans, have seen the bassist do anything other than play bass. Gray saw the response Juvia got and mentally patted his back. He knew he made a good choice having Juvia take a more vocal presence in the band. He was satisfied to see that the fans thought so too.

_Looking for the paradigm  
_

_So I can pass it off  
_

_Is it on my side_

_On my Side…_

The blue-haired bassist stayed on the microphone for what most would consider to be the 'hook' for the song.

_Is it to the sky…_

_Is it to the sky…_

_Is it to the SKY!… _

Their voices, in unison, rose to a higher pitch…

…_And down…_

… and deflated to their normal singing voices together.

_Searching for a ground…_

_With my good eye closed…_

After the second verse, the song lowered to just Gray picking at very simple, but ear-piercingly loud notes on his guitar. Natsu's vicious drumming had ceased for a second, and Gajeel just watched the crowd as Gray took all of the attention. Juvia kept her eyes down on her bass, but always had Gray at the corner of her eye. She would always admire how her band's lead-singer seemed so in his element whenever he did what he did best.

Gray closed his eyes, and while he played on, he approached the microphone once again.

_Stop you're trying to bruise my mind  
_

_I can do it on my own  
_

_Stop you're trying to kill my time  
_

_It's been my death since I was born  
_

_I don't remember half the time  
_

_If I'm hiding or I'm lost  
_

_But I'm on my way, on my way_

The feedback from Gajeel's guitar sounded off as he prepared himself to re-enter the song. Juvia plucked at the thick strings on her bass, also joining the fray. And lastly, Natsu ushered in the final part of the song by striking on his drum-kit, causing the crowd to turn into a full-blown mosh pit.

Gray's eyes snapped open and went back on the attack, with Juvia helping him out.

_Is it to the sky…_

_Is it to the sky…_

_Is it to the sky…_

Their voices grew louder and louder every time they repeated the line…

_Is it to the sky…_

_Is it to the sky…_

Eventually, Gray and Juvia reached a point to where what they were doing was no longer considered singing, by conventional standards anyway, and turned into throat-shredding screeching!

_IS IT TO THE SKY!_

_IS IT TO THE SKY!_

_ON MY WAY!_

_ON MY WAY!_

Lead guitarist Gajeel went off on his guitar and went solo on his axe, improvising the notes he was playing. It wouldn't sound like that on the record, which is what Gajeel liked about live performances. It's a way to catch the audience off guard. Natsu's drums and cymbals crashed violently. It complemented the insanity that was taking place in the club. The pink-haired man's chaotic drumming worked well with Gajeel's squealing guitar, Gray's power chords, Juvia's bass, and, of course, the harshness of Gray and Juvia's screams.

Gray could feel the energy radiating from the crowd. He could tell that they were all ready for what their next record had in store for them.

He couldn't wait for next week, where the album would finally be put up for sale.

* * *

Gray walked into the room the band shared together backstage. He tiredly made his way towards the couch and dropped his ass down, with the coldness of the leather hugging his exposed back. "Fuck…" Gray muttered. The show had really taken a lot out of him. But that was his favorite way of becoming exhausted. As long as he felt as though he and his band played a quality show, then the lack of energy he had when it was over was totally worth tolerating.

Of course, not everyone shared Gray's exhaustion.

"That was fucking great!" Natsu busted through the door of the room and quickly made his way to the fridge the club had set up for the band. "You want a beer?" The pink-haired man asked.

"I'm good right now." Gray replied, waving the offer away.

"Alright." Natsu shrugged. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I'm gonna head out into the hallways and call Lucy. Haven't heard her pretty voice for too long now!"

"Where's Gajeel?" Gray asked, curious as to the current location of his lead guitarist.

"He already on the phone with Levy. I can't let the bastard think he loves his girl more than me." Natsu headed for the door, beer in one hand, and phone in the other.

However, before Nastu could exit, a blue-haired man with a prominent tattoo on his face stepped in, with another bluenette following behind. "Great show you gu-"

"Move it Fernandes!" Natsu pushed the band's manager, Jellal Fernandes, to the side and left the room.

"Okay… and here I was about to congratulate him on his great drumming." Jellal said, shaking his head.

Juvia laughed a bit at Jellal's expense. She walked past him and took her seat beside Gray on the couch.

"Think we did okay?" Gray asked the blue-haired man.

Jellal nodded his head. "Of course! Especially you, Juvia. You were great on 'Searching With My Good Eye Closed'"

"Thank you, Jellal-san." She looked to the man relaxing beside her. "But it was really Gray-sama's amazing songwriting abilities that shined through tonight!"

"Hey, give yourself a little more credit. The crowd went ape shit when you backed me up." The shirtless man interjected. "Without you, I'm not sure that song would have made as big of an impact as it did tonight."

Luckily for Juvia, Gray wasn't looking at her face. If he was, he would see how much that compliment made her face flush. "T-Thank you, Gray-sama."

Jellal saw this and grinned. Those two… When will his raven-haired friend ever wake up? "Well, everyone's talking to their girlfriends, so I might as well call mine."

"Tell Erza we said 'hi'." Gray requested of his manager.

"Will do. Now I'll leave you two alone and head out." Jellal turned and headed for the door, but not before giving the band's bassist a knowing look, causing her to blush a little harder.

"Don't say it like that, man… it sounds weird." Gray said, annoyance clear in his tone. He heard Jellal close the door and sighed.

"Tired, Gray-sama?" the bluenette asked, turning her face back over to look at him once her blush disappeared.

"Yeah, but I'm satisfied." He shuffled a bit, making himself more comfortable on the couch.

"We performed well tonight. Juvia hopes we can keep this up for the upcoming tour next month. Plus, _Badmotorfinger _comes out in a week!" said the enthusiastic bassist. "Exciting times for our band coming up."

"Sure is…" Gray lifted his finger and began to absentmindedly play with a strand of Juvia's hair.

Gray did this a lot unconsciously. It always managed to make the woman's heart beat faster, and she loved the sensation of Gray's finger traveling through her curly locks. Unfortunately, she knew it didn't mean anything special to him. It was just something he did.

But every little thing that he did was grand in Juvia's eyes. It was like that since damn near the first day they met. Juvia had been in love with her band leader for a long time, and he didn't seem to feel anything even remotely close to that for her. It was okay, though. Just being near him was enough right now. Playing with him and creating music together would do for the time being.

Juvia let herself collapse on the couch. Both her and Gray now rested in the same position; eyes facing a red-colored wall.

"Ready to go home?" Juvia asked.

The man let out another sigh and nodded. "You?"

"Yes, we could all use some rest." she replied.

"Hmm…" Gray hummed. Silence fell over the duo. They've been in this position many times before. Silence was comfortable for them. Gray didn't know exactly why, but not talking for an extended period of time never felt awkward between Juvia and Gray. It did for him and other people, but for whatever reason, that wasn't the case with his bass player.

Gray just shrugged and, like every other time this topic entered his mind, he didn't give it too much thought.

He looked over and saw that the woman who had just been in his head had her eyes closed. Gray smiled at this. She must've really gotten comfortable. And with that, Gray decided to do the same thing and closed his eyes alongside her.

Blue hair still wrapped around his finger.

* * *

**AN: **Like I said up top, I probably won't be giving this nearly as much attention as _Kings_, so don't expect an update soon for this, okay? Sorry, but I just had to put this out. I don't even know if this story will be short or long.

As some of you can tell, the band they are playing as is a fictional Soundgarden. Why did I choose them? Well, it's the 20th anniversary of _Superunknown, _and all I've been listening to lately is Soundgarden. So it was a timing thing, really.

Anyway, let me know what you think. All feedback is appreciated.

Soundgarden – "Searching With My Good Eye Closed" (I don't own this song, Soundgarden, or Fairy Tail. I'm just a poor little fan with no regard for my free time.)


	2. Track 1: Q & A

**AN:** Well, here it is. I hope you all haven't forgotten that this thing exists. I thought that it was about time this little side project of mine got a little attention. Hope y'all enjoy it.

**Searching With My Good Eye Closed**

Track 1: Q&amp;A

After releasing a cloud of cigarette smoke from his mouth, letting it escape out of his open window, Gray flicked off the ash that was hanging at the end of the stogie. He watched the wind carry the ashes in the air, knowing that they would eventually stop floating and fall onto the pavement below. He placed his chin on his hand in a bored manner and took another drag from the cigarette that was occupying the space between his middle and index fingers. He was disappointed in himself. Gray knew that he shouldn't be smoking. He had stopped for a good while, but when he got nervous, or when anxiety took hold of his being, he couldn't help but give into his vices. As much as he hated to admit it, smoking actually did help calm him down; it brought him back to earth.

And for what was about to take place in his home, Gray definitely felt like he needed to puff a little. He shook his head and released more smoke into the air, allowing it to exit from his mouth and nostrils. He hoped the guy wouldn't bug him too much. These kinds of situations always made him a bit uncomfortable. And with Ice Make Unlimited getting a lot more attention these days, Gray would have to learn to get used to these kinds of scenarios. He especially hated doing it alone. That's why he had to call for back-up the moment Jellal let him know that he had set this up. And he called the first person that entered his thoughts; the one who had become the most loyal figure to him ever since they became good friends.

The sound of knocking at his spacious loft apartment's door broke the silence. His back-up had arrived.

"The door's unlocked." Gray spoke, letting the new arrival know it was okay to open and walk right in. He flicked off more ash and looked back to see the person enter.

"Hello Gray-sama!" The bluentte's tone was cheerful. She entered Gray's home, wearing a simple white tank-top and jeans, and closed the door behind her. "Juvia hopes she didn't make Gray-sama wait too long. I know how much he hates inter-Gray-sama!" The woman's tone suddenly shifted from cheery to outrage. "Throw that thing out now!" she forcefully demanded as she approached the man sitting by his window.

"Shit…" Gray muttered under his breath. He forgot how much Juvia hated when he smoked. He should've remembered to toss the thing out before she arrived. "Okay, just put the gun down alright? Geez…" He tossed the unfinished cigarette out the window.

"Gray-sama, you know that's horrible for your health. Why would you do something like that to yourself?! And you were doing so well, too…" Now her voice had become a mixture of disappointment and worry. It bugged Gray to hear this kind of concern coming from one of his bandmates. He didn't get these types of reactions from Natsu, Gajeel or anybody for that matter. Why did she always get worked up every time he did something? Well, it was always like that between them, and it didn't look like that was about to change anytime soon.

"I get it, I get it." Gray repeated as he scratched the back of his head. "But you know how I get; I just needed something to relax myself."

Juvia shook her head at his justification. "Gray-sama should find something else to help him out with that. You're only doing harm to your insides when you smoke. Juvia doesn't want to see Gray-sama hurt himself by contaminating his body like that." She lowered her head as she thought about the idea of Gray possibly paying for his actions down the line. She couldn't fathom the thought of losing Gray, or the thought that she was watching him slowly kill himself.

"See, Juvia, it's gone!" he raised his empty hands, reminding her that he threw away the cig. "It was a fuck up, I'll give you that. I'll try and be better about it, okay?" He moved towards her, closing the gap between them. "We good now?" He asked, as he then lowered his head trying to get a better look at her eyes.

Juvia looked up a bit to witness Gray's softened gaze, causing some body heat to rush to her cheeks. Of course they were 'good now'. There was no way in hell Juvia would say 'no' to that handsome face of his. "Okay…"

"There we go." Gray grinned. He moved past her and dropped himself on his couch. "This dude needs to hurry up; I want to get this done as soon as possible." Gray sighed and looked back towards his companion. "Thanks for coming, by the way; you know I don't like doing these things alone if I don't have to."

Juvia smiled and shook her head. "Oh, it's no problem at all. Juvia is always ready to assist whenever you call upon her."

"Yeah, I know." Gray sunk into the large piece of furniture behind him and frowned. "Frickin' Jellal! Guy calls me yesterday and says he has someone from _Guitar Sorcerer _coming to interview me today out of nowhere. Ugh…"

"Hmm, why did he tell you at the last minute?" Juvia asked, also perplexed at Jellal's sudden action.

"Hell if I know." Gray replied. "He's probably just trying to have a little fun with me. Catch me off guard, or something."

"Could be that." The bluenette commented. "We do put him through a lot of stress when we go out and play shows. Maybe it's Jellal-san's way of getting back at us?"

"I don't know what his deal is. I just hate these kinds of surprises."

"What time is this person from _Guitar Sorcerer _arriving again?" Juvia asked her bandmate.

Gray looked over at the odd-looking kit-kat clock hanging on the wall of his loft. "Any minute now, actually."

And as if on cue, knocking was once more heard at Gray's door. "There he is…" He lifted himself off of his seat and walked over towards the door, Juvia in tow.

Gray pulled the door back, revealing a blonde-haired man with a bag strapped around his shoulders. The man's eyes became enlarged at the sight of Gray Fullbuster standing before him. "No way…" he spoke. This guy's demeanor seemed a little unreadable to Gray.

"Uh, hey, um, welcome to my pla-"

"SO COOL!" the blonde unexpectedly shouted. This caused Gray and Juvia to step back with startled looks on their faces.

"The hell is wrong with you!?" Gray snapped at the crazed blonde.

"I can't believe it! I'm getting to talk to Ice Make Unlimited's front-man! So damn… COOL!" He continued, arms flailing around like a lunatic. "And not only that, but Juvia Lockser is here too. Double COOL!"

"Will you keep it down!?" Gray shouted.

Unfortunately, his request fell on deaf ears. And instead, the blonde-haired individual representing _Guitar Sorcerer_ threw his arms around Gray's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. "Man, you guys are so COOL! This is gonna be amazing!"

The man had a surprisingly strong hold on him, and Gray actually struggled to move. He must've really been excited for this moment. He turned his head to look over at Juvia and wore a defeated look on his mug, sighing in the process. She still held the shocked expression from this man's first outburst. 'Another reason I hate interviews' was what Gray's face was telling Juvia.

But the bluenette finally recovered and could only giggle at Gray's current predicament. This was just one of many weird moments they shared together. Oh well. Hopefully this guy would also review their new record. At least that way they were guaranteed a positive review.

* * *

Not long after Jason's, which the two band members found out was the guy's name, flabbergasting entrance (which also ended with him having to apologize to Gray for his weird behavior), the now-trio sat over by the open window where Gray had been smoking prior to Juvia's arrival. The raven-haired musician retook his spot by the window. Juvia pulled up a chair next to him, and Jason sat in front of them, facing the duo.

Jason setup his phone to record the interview and chose to hold it for the entirety of the conversation.

"So..." Jason started. "I guess I'll just start off by asking how you two are doing today."

Gray just shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

"Juvia is doing great, Jason-san, thanks." Juvia was a little more polite with her response.

"I gotta imagine you guys are a little nervous about the new album coming out. Kind of a big deal right?"

"We've got more than one album under our belts already. Nothing we haven't been through before." Gray casually replied, not even really looking at the man asking the question.

"But not on a major label, though. Doesn't this feel a little different than before?" a curious Jason asked.

"Juvia would say it is." The woman answered. "The band has played a lot more shows to a lot more people now. We have to do more promotional events than we would like. Juvia thinks that Gray-sama just has the ability to ignore all of the craziness better than the rest of us."

"Interesting." Jason stated. "So do you guys prefer the simplicity of being a Fairy Tail artist?"

"Juvia will admit that we have a more manageable budget now, and we don't have to worry about the van breaking down on us." The bluenette chuckled, remembering their time spent making music under the Fairy Tail name. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that we prefer being on a major label over Fairy Tail."

"What are the things that bother you about Council Entertainment that didn't bother you about FT?"

"Signing was a pain." Juvia sighed. "When we became Fairy Tail artists, all we did was sign a piece of paper that Makar-"

"Owner of Fairy Tail records, Makarov Dreyar signed you guys, right?" Jason jumped in before Juvia could finish her thought.

"Um, yes." Juvia continued. "He just handed us a piece of notebook paper that said our records would sell with the name 'Fairy Tail' on it. That was all. Quick and to the point. When we signed to where we are now, we had to deal with lawyers and all other kinds of business people, and how many years we would be on Council Entertainment and for whatever amount of albums we had to release for them… yeah. We had no idea how to handle any of that. Neither did Jellal-san, so that was quite the headache for all of us."

"So what made you guys want to jump on a major?"

"Gray-sama thought that it would be interesting if more people got to hear our music. That maybe, on the off chance that we did get big, we could change something in music." She looked to the man slouched by the window beside her. "Is Juvia remembering that correctly?"

"For the most part." he nonchalantly responded. It was a little embarrassing for Gray to admit to his lofty ambitions, so he tried to be cool about it.

"Hmm, well, it seems like you guys might be on to something. Guitar music isn't as popular as it used to be, but your song 'Rusty Cage' has been a huge hit so far. And it sounds different than the music you recorded before. Is 'Rusty Cage' indicative of the sound of _Badmotorfinger_?" Jason leaned over, wanting to hear the answer as he was just as excited for the record as any fan of music was.

Juvia didn't answer this time, knowing that this was a question Gray would feel slightly more comfortable addressing.

Gray picked up on that and sighed. It was his turn to talk. "I think so. I wanted more actual 'songs' on this record. More than I ever wanted before actually. Our other albums were very heavy and noisy, but weren't really coherent to the average rock music fan. And that's not to speak ill of our older albums, I'm very proud of them as a matter of fact. I'm just saying that good songwriting was the main focus this time around, and it has NOTHING to do with the fact that we're on a major." Gray wanted to hammer home that last point. There were some fans of his band's previous work that were labeling the group as 'sell-outs'. He knew that came with associating with big corporations, but Gray was prepared for that. It didn't faze him as much as one would think. He knew why he played in a band, and that's all that mattered to him.

"I'm impressed that the album hasn't leaked. And it seems like it won't considering it releases tomorrow."

"If it did, then I wouldn't care." Gray shrugged.

"Are you guys doing anything special for the album's release tomorrow?" the blonde questioned.

"We're having a party here tomorrow, actually." Gray said. "You're, uh, welcome to come if you're still in town."

"Really!? Thank you! Man, it's gonna be so CO-"

"Stop it!" Gray raised his hand to keep the man from reverting back to his obnoxious habits.

"Uh, sorry about that. Heh heh." Jason rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Anyway, I've heard from a few people close to the band say that 'Rusty Cage' is actually the only track that features you as the sole vocalist. The rest of the songs have Juvia backing you up, and you performed a new song from the record recently at a show where she joined in."

Gray nodded, confirming everything the man just said.

"Who's idea was this?" He looked to the bluenette. "Did you bring this up to him?" he asked her, pointing towards Gray.

"Um, no." Juvia said. "It was Gray-sama who asked me. He said that my voice worked well with his and that we should finally put it to use." A coy smile graced Juvia's face as she recalled the moment Gray approached her about being more than just the band's bass player. She didn't expect it, but she was more than willing to do whatever it was that he asked of her. She wasn't totally confident in her voice, if she was being honest with herself, but for her front-man, she would go the extra mile. That's what you do when you're in love.

"Yeah, I always thought she had a pretty good voice, but I never found the right way to utilize it." Gray added. "Now, with this record being more song focused than our previous efforts, I think I found the place where her voice belongs." He looked towards his bandmate and gave the woman a surprisingly affectionate smile, which caused Juvia's heart to thump much faster than it was before. "Next to mine." Gray added.

At that moment, Juvia was struggling to keep herself under control. She could've exploded with joy and made herself look like a total fool in front of both of them, and risked looking just as crazy as Jason was when he first arrived.

"Can you get into how the band actually started?" Jason asked. "I'm not sure I've read any good articles that actually talked about the origin of the band."

Gray released a heavy sigh. This question obviously required him to talk a lot, and he kind of wanted this thing to end already. "Uh, well, it started when Natsu and I were in high school. We both grew up playing instruments, and in homes that had music everywhere. I listened to my dad's records and Natsu did the same with his dad's albums. We knew each other most of our lives but it wasn't till the eleventh grade when we began talking about actually forming a band."

"How did Juvia and Gajeel Redfox become a part of this?" the blonde probed.

Juvia cleared her throat, knowing her part of the story was next. "Well, Gajeel-kun and I transferred to Gray-sama's school half way through the school year. We didn't know anyone at school and we mostly kept to ourselves." Juvia decided it was best to keep the 'admiring Gray-sama from a distance' part out of her side of the story.

But she could remember very fondly the first day she laid eyes on her beloved bandleader. It was her first day of school and she sat at the back of the classroom, not really paying much attention to what the teacher was saying. She was too busy looking out the window where there was nothing to see but dark clouds and heavy rain. All of a sudden the classroom door opened, revealing to Juvia an absurdly good looking kid around the same age as her. The teacher started scolding the boy for being tardy, and that's where she first heard his name, Gray Fullbuster. He paid the teacher no mind and walked towards the back of the classroom, greeting some friends of his on the way.

It was at that point when Juvia started getting nervous. Her heart started going off like a grindcore blastbeat. He was moving towards her direction. And that's when Juvia remembered that there was an empty seat next to her. And not long after realizing that, Gray had taken his spot there. That must've been where he always sat, Juvia figured.

She watched as he tilted his head back and raked his hand through his wet, unruly, coarse hair. Droplets of water fell from the strands that hung low over his eyes and feel on the exposed part of his skin, below his chin and on the collarbone. She noticed that his eyes matched the color of his incredibly dark hair and it complimented his light skin very well. And his face was something special when he first walked into the classroom, but it was nothing like seeing it up close. He was only a foot away from her, and she could appreciate his alluring features even more. Watching him was hypnotizing. Juvia felt as if she could spend all of eternity simply looking at the person sitting beside her.

Eventually, Gray noticed that someone was sitting next to him and he looked over to find a new girl looking at him. He gave her a dispassionate 'hey' and followed that by looking out the same window that Juvia had been looking out of not too long ago before his arrival. He didn't say much to Juvia, but he didn't have to. She was already hooked.

After that, Juvia would always do what it took to get a look at him. She saw him hang out with his friends, real characters like her future bandmate, the loud and chaos-causing Natsu Dragneel. Even the red-head he hung out with, the very straight-laced Erza Scarlett. There was also that Cana girl who always snuck in alcohol in a water bottle to suck down at lunch time. She noticed that of everyone in his circle, Gray was the most relaxed one. He never let his emotions get the best of him (except for maybe when Natsu got too crazy and they ended up tussling with each other), nor did he make any sort of action without thinking first. He was the most collected person of the bunch. That just made him even more attractive to Juvia. That personality of his worked extremely well with his looks.

And she wanted so badly to speak to him, but nervousness would always get the best of her. She couldn't find the courage to talk to him. At least, not at school anyway.

"Juvia first really got to know Gray-sama at a show at one of the local clubs here in Magnolia." she continued. "It was an all-ages show and Gajeel-kun came along with Juvia that night. Gajeel-kun didn't particularly care for the more melodic sounds of the band playing, so he decided to step outside and hang out there for a bit. And while Juvia was by herself, she noticed that Gray-sama also happened to be in attendance!" she spoke with a tone that had the same exact amount of surprise that she had when Juvia originally saw Gray that night.

The young woman remembered watching her beloved Gray enjoying the music, and what also caught her attention was that he also happened to be alone. She didn't recognize anyone from school around him, and after a few more minutes of watching Gray she decided to gather up all the courage she possessed and approached the fellow teen.

"So Juvia decided to walk up to him and then w-"

"It was cool, you know…" Gray's voice broke through Juvia's, surprising both the woman beside him and the blonde-haired interviewer. Gray wasn't quite sure what made him cut Juvia off, but he did and he had to follow it up. He began to awkwardly rub the back of his neck as he continued to speak. "Well, uh, we started speaking and, um, I liked that because after we sort of reintroduced ourselves, we ended up getting to know each other a lot better. I found out she enjoyed music just as much as I did, and she also really dug a bunch of stuff that I couldn't even pay some of my close friends to listen to. She mentioned that she and Gajeel grew up in an orphanage together where they first learned to play instruments that were donated to them, and that they sort of taught themselves how to play. Of course, that led to me telling her that I played, too, and that Natsu and I were thinking about starting a band together. I'm, uh, pretty sure you can guess what happens next. So, yeah, it was pretty fucking cool talking to her that night, um… yeah…"

Juvia blinked at her bandleader in surprise. She very quickly shook her head to shake off the blush that threatened to cover her face and looked back at Jason.

"Okay! That is pretty cool!" the blonde exclaimed. "So you guys pretty much all got together after that and started making music?"

"Pretty much." Gray replied. "We jammed together whenever we could, and having Gajeel around really helped get Natsu off my back. I just let them get into arguments, instead of Natsu dragging me into his loud bullshit."

"And where did Jellal come into this?" Jason inquired about the blue-haired band manager.

"Well he was brought up as a possible manager by Erza-san, Jellal's girlfriend." Juvia answered. "They had a very weird relationship, and he used to get in trouble a lot. He had been arrested before on a couple of occasions."

Jason was surprised to hear this. Jellal didn't come off as the type of guy that would get arrested for anything. Jellal came off as a pretty nice guy, actually. Then again, he also has a tattoo on his face, so…

Gray nodded, remembering the kinds of trouble Jellal used to get into, and how it was a major problem between him and Erza. "Yeah, she asked us to give him a shot, that way he would have something to do that could keep him away from all the trouble that plagued his life, and by extension Erza's. He came to us while we first started creating music together, and he had no idea how to book shows or do anything for us, but he eventually figured things out, and he managed to stay straight and things have been cool ever since."

"And when did you guys start making music together?"

"The summer following the end of our junior year in high school." Juvia said. "Gray-sama wrote a lot of songs and worked hard to compose the music for us to play. And by the end of the summer, we had enough music to record our first two Eps: _Screaming Life _and _Fopp_."

"Love those early tracks!" Jason spoke, remembering how blown away he was when he found out such young kids managed to make really interesting music at their ages. "And those songs were floating around on the internet and caught the ear of Fairy Tail records owner Makarov Dreyar, right?"

"Actually, Laxus-san, his son, heard our music first, and he passed it on to his father." Juvia clarified. "He really liked what he heard and so he got in contact with Jellal not that long after, saying that he wanted to speak with us about making records."

"And we already touched on that earlier. Easy time signing up with them, right?" Jason said, and the two nodded in response. "Oh, and where did the band name come from? It's very unique sounding!"

"Yes, that came from Ur-san, a good friend of Gray-sama's family." Juvia responded. "She does ice sculpting and things like that. And she has a piece called 'Ice Make Unlimited' that is just a bunch of weapons carved out of ice. I guess Gray-sama really liked the name and decided to take it!" she explained.

Gray shrugged, Juvia was pretty much spot-on with her explanation. He remembered all the times Ur would give him crap about using a name of hers. It was all in good fun, so she did it in jest, claiming that we owed her 10 percent for every record they sold. He figured he'd hear that joke again tomorrow, when they meet again for the party.

"So the next year on Fairy Tail records was a good one for you guys!" Jason remarked. "Recorded and released your first full-length LP, _Ultramega OK_. Still a great record, in my opinion, and I'm surprised that you all got to release it while finishing up your final year in high school."

"It was definitely tough…" said the bluenette. "But we all got to leave with our high school diplomas. We knew after the positive reception that our first record got that this would be our life, so no college for any of us."

Gray nodded in agreement. He recalled in his mind all the times after band rehearsals where Juvia would stay with him and study for tests or work on projects that were due. That crazy chick was always there when he needed her, and with her help he graduated and he knew that his academic career was over after that. Ice Make Unlimited was his life now. He knew his family really wanted him to go on to continue his education, but they also wanted Gray to be happy, and it seemed like the band was actually taking off, even if it was on a low scale on an independent (although highly respected) record label.

"And then you guys played more shows and became more visible in the indie rock and even the hardcore punk community." Jason continued.

"Right," Gray followed up. "the shows got a little more crazy, nothing like how it is now, but still intense. Jellal started getting and making more calls than ever before and had to start getting on our asses about a lot of shit."

"Cool, and with all of that, you guys made enough money to keep you guys afloat, right?"

"Sure, we were still struggling as a band going from town to town in a van, but it was alright. We were having fun, and we did everything our way. And a lot of that money went into the recording of the next album." Gray added.

"Ah yes! _Louder Than Love_! The record that got you guys more fans, and attention from the major labels. I'm sure you all weren't expecting that when you released it the following year after _Ultramega OK_." Jason stated. "Pretty awesome for a gang of then 19 year olds."

Juvia nodded. "The release of that record was weird, with all of the attention that you mentioned we were getting. But Juvia and the rest of us just did what people in their late teens did and just went with the flow."

"I understand that." Jason replied. "And now, you guys are all 21, a little older, and on the cusp of releasing what might be the most important document the band has released yet. Not bad, you guys!"

"Thank you, Jason-san." Juvia smiled.

"And it seems like Fairy Tail is re-releasing all of your previous records. Does it bother you guys that they're doing that? Seems like they're capitalizing on your new found popularity." Jason mentioned.

Gray shook his head. "Doesn't bother me one bit. Whatever helps them out, I'm cool with it." Gray knew that Makarov was somewhat of an opportunist, but he also helped them out a lot, so he didn't care. The people at Fairy Tail were like family to them. "I'm fine if they're able to make a little cash and stay afloat, labels like FT are important to keep around. Besides, I'm not worried about the past anymore, it's all about what happens next." He turned his head to look over at Juvia, who met his look with her own. "Ain't that right?" he asked her, smirk locked on his face.

She returned the smile with her own, looking over his immensely handsome and flawless face. "Of course! I can't wait to find out what's next for us."

* * *

After finishing up the interview, Jason left shortly thereafter. Gray crashed back on his couch and felt good to finally get through that Q &amp; A process. "So glad that's over…"

Juvia stood in front of him with her arms behind her. "Gray-sama handled that well, I think. Better than you usually do." She smiled.

"Yeah, whatever. I just wanna relax now, it's gonna pretty hectic from here on out, so I gotta enjoy these quiet moments while I have them."

"Yes, Juvia understands what you mean, I'll have to remember to enjoy these peaceful moments." Especially if it's alone time with her Gray-sama, she thought to herself. She began to walk over to the kitchen. "Juvia is a little hungry, do you want me to make something for you, Gray-sama?"

"Uh, sure. I kinda feel like fish, and I've got some tilapia in the fridge that I thought about making earlier." Gray watched as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Okay! Coming right up!" she cheerily replied.

"Hmm…" Gray got up from his seat and walked over to the kitchen entry way and leaned over watching his bandmate work her way around his kitchen. Juvia came over a lot, and she always seemed to fit in perfectly whenever she was in his home. It was hard to explain, but she just seemed… comfortable. She looked right moving about in his apartment. It was weird to think about his bandmate that way, but she just fit into his life with no trouble what so ever. And it felt a little strange when she wasn't around; he would admit that only to himself. He never really spoke about Juvia to other people. They already had the wrong idea about them, better to not give them more ammunition.

While Juvia was heating up the stove, she noticed her bandleader watching her work. She tilted her head in confusion. "Something wrong, Gray-sama?" she very cutely asked him, Gray thought.

He smiled and shook his head. "Nah, nothing is wrong at all. Right now, everything's fine, Juvia."

* * *

**AN:** Hey there! Do, uh, you all remember me? Been a looooooooooooooong time, huh? Well, just to keep things short, I went through a lot of bullshit and have been very stressed out for a longtime now. In that time, my enthusiasm for everything just fucking diminished. I forgot how to live life, and have been slowly doing what I can to get better. Obviously, something must be working since I actually updated something, right? I just want to keep getting better. I'm on the right track, I think, and the better I get, the more updates you'll see from me.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this update. And no, I haven't forgotten about _The Kings of Magnolia. _Whenever I get the time, I'll be working on the next chapter to that story. Don't expect too many long chapters from me, though. I hope you aren't upset by that. I just don't wanna put more stress on myself, especially since I wanna get less of that in my life.

So, until next time, I don't own the Soundgarden catalogue nor do I own the Fairy Tail name and characters of that universe. Just want to make that clear!

Oh, and stay in school kids! We can't all be rockstars!


	3. Track 2: Party Night

**AN: **I won't even try to explain myself. It's been a while; we all know this!

Let's just get right into it, okay?

**Searching With My Good Eye Closed**

Track 2: Party Night

Controlled chaos. That's the way Gray would describe his home right now: The dim lighting of the loft apartment, the loud, booming sounds of music that pumped out of the speakers strategically placed around said large, spacious loft, and of course the boisterous people occupying it. The majority of the occupants there were his bandmates, some roadies, a few record execs, Jason's crazy ass from _Guitar Sorcerer_ and a few other music journalists he invited, some old friends from Fairy Tail Records, and a bunch of his friends from both high school and his childhood. They all socialized and drank and hung out, moving from one area to another. Gray could see more than few bottles of beer on the floor and he knew the cleaning process would be a pain in the ass when this party was all over.

Oh well, at least he'll have Juvia to help him out with that, he thought.

He continued to look at the crowd, arms crossed and leaning on his bar counter top that he had installed when he got his place. Wearing some black combat boots, dark-blue colored jeans with chains hanging on his side, and his Raijinshū band shirt, Gray scanned his home.

He saw Natsu being as obnoxious as ever, standing there with that dumb smile on his face, arm hanging loosely around Lucy's shoulders. Dressed in a somewhat similar manner as Gray, he noticed that Natsu still had that damn scarf covering his neck. Can't blame him though; it was a present from his dad after all. Lucy tried her best to keep Natsu in check, but Gray knew she would have a hard time with that considering he was drinking. He felt for the woman, Gray was sure it wasn't easy being Natsu's lady. But if anyone was up for the task, it was Lucy. The stunning blonde stood there with a drink in her hand, wearing a white and black striped crop top, exposing her fit stomach, a pair of short denim shorts and 4 inch stilettos. Most people who would have no problem judging a book by its cover would automatically assume that she was just some brainless, blonde bimbo, but anybody who actually knows her knew that she was actually quite smart. The woman aspired to be an author and had already had a few short stories published when they all met her. They played a show supporting _Louder Than Love _a couple years back in an art gallery where a bunch of aspiring artists, authors and musicians frequented. And as soon as Natsu laid eyes on the beautiful blonde who attended the show, well, the rest is history as they say.

As of now, she was working on her first real big novel, and hopes that she would make it even bigger in the world of literature. So yeah, she's a smart girl. Well, not too smart, Gray thought. She did choose Natsu as her boyfriend, so…

They both stood by Gray's lead guitarist, Gajeel, who was leaning on the wall, hands in his pockets. He looked to be annoyed, which was probably because Natsu was being Natsu. Levy tried her best to calm him down, nervous smile on her face. Now there was a couple that looked like it didn't make any sense. Gajeel Redfox had crazy, unkempt black hair, similar to Gray, but much longer and more wild looking. He had crimson red eyes and piercings all over his eyebrows and ears. They looked iron and steel was implanted on his skin from birth. The man had a bit of a temper, especially when Natsu annoyed him and didn't mind getting in a fight if the situation called for it. He looked like he played in a heavy rock band. Levy on the other hand worked as a librarian at a library that Gajeel happened to wander into one day and the short blunette was the opposite of Lucy in terms of how she presented herself. Right now, she had on a very modest black dress that fell below her knees and the only real skin being exposed was her arms, face, ankles and feet, which were adorned with a simple pair of sandals.

Gray heard from Juvia that their first meeting didn't go so well. Gajeel got into an argument with the much shorter woman, for reasons neither seem to remember, and it somehow ended with Gajeel giving her his number. Yep, couldn't figure that one out. But they seemed happy and they were going on two years with no issues. Gray wished his lead guitarist the best of luck with her.

He also had to remember to thank Juvia again for convincing Gajeel to join the band in the first place. Gray saw a lot of guitar players come and go back when they were a part of the local music scene. But honestly, none of them were even half as talented as Gajeel. He had a gift, and luckily, Juvia got him to share it with Ice Make Unlimited.

Gray looked up and saw the already drunk Cana and his manager Jellal, alongside his longtime girlfriend, Erza, upstairs talking with the guys from Fairy Tail. Makarov, the head man in charge of that operation, stood by his son, Laxus and the rest of Raijinshū, the band Laxus and his other three longtime friends were in. Gray was obviously a big fan of them. One of the great underground hardcore punk bands that helped shape what kind of music would influence Gray and the others. They were called Raijinshū because they were loud as thunder and played fast as lightning. Gray would be eternally grateful for them, Laxus Dreyar especially, for helping them get put on with Fairy Tail. That was a dream come true.

A hand lands firmly on Gray's shoulder, stripping him away from his thoughts. He looks over to see the tall figure that was Silver Fullbuster, his father, standing behind him with a smile on his rugged looking face. "How you holding up, kid?" He starts before mimicking his son's posture with his arms on the counter.

Gray just shrugs and looks back into the crowd. "I'm all right, I guess."

"Just all right?" Silver shoots back.

"Yeah…"

"Oh c'mon," said the older man. "You're about to be a rich rock star! You gotta be a little more excited than that."

Gray shrugs once more. "Artists don't make much money on album sales these days, old man." Gray explained. "The real money is in the live shows and merch. Believe me, I've had that explained to me many times. No need to be excited about album sales."

"Oh don't give me that." Gray's father replied. "I may be old, but I know how to use the internet. I read the articles. You guys are estimated to sell close to a million in your first week! That's a lot! I mean, people don't even buy albums like that anymore."

Gray had to admit, he was quite impressed by how much his father knew of the current state of the music industry. He was right. In an era where everyone just downloaded music off the internet for free like every second of the day, it was quite a big deal to see artists put up numbers like that nowadays. Something the higher ups at his current record label were very happy about.

Truth be told, Gray was a little shocked himself when he found out how much they were estimated to sell. "Well, it's not like I care about how much we sell. I just hope people like the album."

"From what I've heard, that shouldn't be an issue. The songs are great, son!" Silver said enthusiastically, as he was one of the first people to hear _Badmotorfinger _before its release.

"Thanks pops, I guess we'll see what the public really thinks."

"The record dropped today, aren't you hearing what people are saying online?" Silver asked, wondering how his son doesn't know about the overwhelmingly positive reception to the record.

"I've heard a few things here and there." Said Gray, as he poured himself a glass of scotch. "But I'm trying my best to keep from hearing too much about it. Don't wanna let it cloud my mind and make me think I've reached my apex as a songwriter. I'll give it a little more time before I let it all settle in."

"Whatever you say, kid." Silver gives a warmhearted chuckle, before wrapping an arm over his son's shoulders and giving him a hug. "I'm proud of you, Gray. You did good. You're making a living doing something you love. A dream come true."

Gray looks over to his father and gives him a genuinely happy smile. "Thanks old man, glad to have you around to see all of this."

"I'm glad too…" The older gentleman responded. "I just… I just wish Mika could be here to witness this." Silver added, his expression faltering a bit as he mentions her name.

Gray winced and looked away from his father, frowning. "Yeah…" Gray was reluctant to say anymore on that particular subject. He loved his late mother immensely, but it still hurt to think about her. Not as bad as it used to, but it still stung to hear her mentioned. He'll never forget that day when he heard the news. He was only 10 years old and he and his father were waiting for Mika to return home from work. She was about a half hour late from her usual arrival time, but they didn't think much about it. Then things got weird when it turned into an hour. So Silver tried to contact her through the phone… but no answer. Gray wondered when his mother was coming home, and asked his dad when she was coming. Silver couldn't give him an answer. She should have been home already. What happened?

Eventually, they got called back. But not by Mika. But by the police. They said she had been involved in an incredibly gruesome car accident that involved more than a few cars. She had no chance of survival. She was dead the moment it all happened. Gray and Silver Fullbuster were absolutely devastated.

The wake was a closed casket affair, and the funeral was the saddest thing Gray had ever experienced. No son ever wants to say goodbye to his mother like that. He didn't know how long he cried after seeing her go under. He just wished to never relive that pain again. Gray rarely ever spoke about her, especially to people other than his father. Everyone just knew and didn't mention anything. Though he did remember one time when he was on the road a little while back. It was actually Juvia who noticed something was a little off about Gray. And being the caring friend she was, she wanted to know what was going on. Gray tried to brush it off, but Juvia knew better. Gray wanted to get angry at her for pressing the issue, but he knew she was just trying to help him get through whatever was bothering him. Eventually, he told her it was his mother's death anniversary and he began to break down, crying like he did on that horrible day when he heard the tragic news.

Juvia knew his mother had died when he was still a kid, but she obviously didn't know the anniversary date. She felt terrible for making him explain himself to her like that. She apologized and tried to leave, so that he could grieve like he originally wanted to, and like he probably had been doing since her death. But, Gray wouldn't let her go and he just collapsed, sobbing on her chest. Juvia was shocked and had no idea what to do at first, so she did the only thing that felt natural and embraced him in his time of need. She began crying herself, feeling so very hurt to see the man she loved look so vulnerable. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. Gray thought he would regret saying something to Juvia, but actually, the following days were much better, and ever since then he was able to cope with the memory of his mother a lot easier. He was lucky to have someone like Juvia around. Friends like that are one in a million.

"Sorry, Gray." Silver apologized before crossing his arms again, looking away from his son, a little upset with himself for mentioning Mika. "I know… this isn't the time and place. We're supposed to be celebrating, right?"

Gray sighed and took a swig of his drink. "It's all good." He said, trying to brush it off. "It's not like I don't feel the same way." He explained. "I'd want nothing more than for her to be here celebrating with us. And I know that, if she were still around, she would be proud of me, too. That's all I need to move on." Gray looked at his dad, giving him a reassuring smile.

Silver was a little taken aback by those comments, but was relieved to hear him say that. "Right, same here." Silver grinned back at his son, his pride and joy. "So, big tour coming up, huh? Won't be seeing you for a while." Silver continued, changing the subject to something much lighter.

Gray nodded. "Got a couple more weeks before we head out. I'll be around so we can hang out a bit more before I'm gone for about, say, 5 months."

"Wow, I forgot you guys were going to be out for that long." Silver sighed.

"I know. It'll be a while before we come back home. I feel for the other guys, Gajeel, Natsu and Jellal. Their girlfriends won't see them for a little while, it must be hard on a relationship."

"I bet it is." Silver then put on a mischievous grin. "Lucky for you, your girl is in the band, so you don't have to worry about separation." Silver teased, knowing just how close his son and that bass player of his had become.

"You're going senile, old man." Gray shot his father a dirty look before turning away. "And don't start that shit, I get that from everyone else."

Silver shrugged and adjusted himself to lean on one elbow. "You get it for a reason." Silver added, devilish smile still in place.

"It's not happening, we're just really good friends. Drop it!"

Silver chuckled and looked away. "Whatever you say, champ!" He then looked around the crowded apartment. "Since we're on the subject, where is Juvia, anyway?"

"Hmm, I think I saw her with… oh, she's coming over here right now." Gray stated, nodding his head over to where Juvia was coming from.

Making her way from inside the crowd, Gray watched her walk over with her curly blue locks cascading from her head like a waterfall, a pleasant smile plastered on her striking face. She wore a blue dress that cutoff just a little above the knees with a plunging neckline that showed a pretty good amount of cleavage. Gray felt his cheeks warm up and hated himself for allowing that to happen. He quickly turned away, took another gulp from his glass, finishing the liquor. She looked way too beautiful tonight to be a bassist in a hard rock band. It made Gray remember the days when she wore fur coat and had her hair in those huge curls. She looks great now, but there were somedays when he missed her old look. It was very unique, he thought.

Catching himself thinking inappropriately about Juvia again, Gray shook his head and filled up another glass. 'She can be so distracting…' Gray thought. So much so, apparently, that he didn't even notice that Ur had been walking alongside her.

"Juvia, you look beautiful tonight!" Silver said, giving her a tight and welcoming hug. "I haven't seen you all night. How have you been, dear?" Silver asked, allowing her to pass her by so that she could make her way next to Gray.

"I'm so sorry, Silver-sama, but Juvia has been so busy talking to journalists, taking calls all night, and meeting back up with friends that Juvia hasn't seen in forever!" Juvia exclaimed, as she nodded over to Ur who she was talking about when she mentioned old friends. "I'm so very sorry," Juvia apologized again. "But we have time before we leave, so we can meet up before then, right Gray-sama?" Gray nodded approvingly, taking a sip from his glass.

"I'll look forward to it!" Silver grinned. "It's always a pleasure having you around, dear. You're like family to me." He said winking at her.

Juvia blushed and looked away, smiling at father's words. "Yes… thank you."

Silver laughed and sighed after. "Well, Ur, should we get going? We're a little too old for this crowd. I'm sure they'll be partying all night."

The dark haired woman chuckled. "Old? Speak for yourself Silver. I can hang with the best of them." Silver just rolled his eyes at the comment. "But, now that you mention it, you were my ride here, and I can't trust this little lightweight to bring me home." Ur taunted, ruffling Gray's hair as he tried to bat her hand away, annoyed. Ur laughed at the young rock star, also getting a chuckle out of Juvia in the process. "Sorry that Ultear and Meldy couldn't make it. They won't be back around till sometime next week. You'll be able to see them then."

Gray nodded. "It's alright, those two love traveling together. I'm sure we'll see them pop up in one of our shows this year, they know our schedule. I also got a text from Lyon, he'll be back in town in a few days, he's still out on an assignment." Yeah, Gray remembered that damn text Lyon sent him earlier…

"_Sorry I couldn't be there, Gray! TELL JUVIA I LOVE HER!"_

Of course Gray did no such thing. 'Asshole…' He thought. Though he was excited to see Lyon's ugly mug before they all took off. Lyon worked as a freelance photographer and a graphic artist. Lyon was actually responsible for the cover art for all of Ice Make Unlimited's albums. He didn't see him as much as he used to when they were kids, but he was always happy to see him, even if the majority of their conversations centered around the woman next to him at the moment.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be picking him up at the airport. Hopefully he'll stick around a little longer before taking his next assignment. I never get to see my boy enough." Ur sighed with a frown as she talked about her adopted son. "Now move it, Silver." Ur stretched as she yawned. "I wanna go, I'm tired."

"Oh…?" Silver said, getting ready to leave. "I thought you could 'hang'?" Silver mocked.

"Shut up!" Ur leaned over the counter to give Juvia a hug. "Great hanging out with you tonight, glad you let me keep you company while all those annoying writers were hounding you!"

"No, thank you, Ur-sama, it's always great to see you!" Juvia replied cheerfully, giving the hug back with equal appreciation. "Juvia will make sure to see you again before we leave!"

"You do that!" The older woman responded. "Same to you, brat." Ur added, looking over to Gray before giving him a hug as well. "Have fun tonight, you guys deserve it."

"Yeah, yeah…" Gray smiled and pulled away from Ur. "Get home safe."

"Well that all depends on your father." Ur replied, looking at Silver. "I'll be waiting at the car." She waved as she headed for the exit to Gray's home.

"Better get going then!" Silver looked at the two youngsters and smirked. 'You know, they really do look good together.' He thought.

Gray walked around Juvia to get another hug on his father. "Thanks for coming, pops. I love you, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?"

"I'll be waiting for your call." He smiled, holding his beloved son in his arms. "I love you too, kid."

Juvia's heart warmed as she witnessed the love between father and son. She truly loved the interactions between these two.

Letting go of his son, Silver walked over to Juvia, pulling her in. "Stay safe beautiful." Silver said, as he got closer to Juvia's ear so that he could whisper. "Take care of Gray for me, okay? I'm pulling for you."

Juvia closed her eyes and nodded knowingly. "Thank you Silver-sama, and Juvia will do all she can."

"Good!" Gray raised an eyebrow as Silver released the smaller woman and walked around the bar, giving his son a slap on the shoulder on the way out. "Goodnight, you guys!" He added, waving as he took his leave.

The two waved back at and Gray leaned over to Juvia and asked, "What was all that about?"

"Oh, Silver-sama just told Juvia to have a good time tonight." Juvia explained.

"Really?"

Juvia smiled and nodded. "Really."

Gray shrugged. "Okay, then." He then sighed and looked around his currently crowded home. "Ready to have a little fun tonight?" He said leaning over to his bassist.

She looked at him with a smirk on her face. "Is Gray-sama?"

He chuckled and grabbed his glass of scotch. "Just make sure you don't drink too much. Every time you get drunk you get sad and start crying about a lot of random shit." Juvia gave Gray a playful smack and gave him a humorous yet displeased look. "What, it's true!" He laughed.

* * *

Gray sighed and finished cleaning off the couch. His apartment was far from clean, but he could leave that for later. It was close to 5 in the morning, and the last person had left about 20 minutes ago. He had a few things related to the band he had to do tomorrow, but after that was done he had to remember to get in touch with his father.

He looked around the loft and saw bottles, can, plastic and paper cups littering the floor. It would be a pain to clean up this mess, but it took him back to the parties from when they were a little younger. Of course no one was legally allowed to drink, but that's how kids were. Especially those in rock and roll lifestyle.

It was a good party though. Natsu and Gajeel were always a riot when they got on each other's nerves. A lot of people wondered how guys who seemed to hate each other that much could be in a band. But like Gray always told them, they do it because they like each other. They're not that different from each other either, and I think they both see that. It was also great to speak with the Fairy Tail guys again. Makarov made it very clear that he was glad that Ice Make Unlimited got popular. He could make quite the bit of cash reissuing the old releases. Gray just chuckled and rolled his eyes.

At some point in the night, Gray stood on top of the bar counter to get everyone's attention. He killed the music and thanked everyone for coming and for supporting the band and new record. Which got a loud 'I heard the album, and it fucking sucks!' in the middle of the speech from a very drunk Cana. Gray just laughed, as everyone else there did, rolled his eyes and gave her the middle finger before continuing to thank everyone.

Feeling a little tipsy, Gray sat down on the couch. He crossed his arms and felt glad that he didn't get too shitfaced.

"Feeling okay, Gray-sama?"

Oh yeah, that's right. It was the last person who isn't Juvia that left 20 minutes ago.

He looked over to her as she came to stand before him. "I'm good, and you?"

"Doing fine." She giggled. She was obviously a little tipsy, but clearly not wasted. She'd either be passed out or crying because the sun was about to come out, or whatever.

"Man, I'm ready to hit the sack." Gray looked up as he yawned. "You staying over?"

"Juvia might." He heard her voice get distant and looked to see her walk over to the stereo and start digging in his record collection.

"What are you doing?" Gray asked, eyebrow raised, slurring a little.

"Oh, nothing." She responded innocently. She picked out an album, removed the record and placed the 12 inch piece of round vinyl on the record player. She placed the needle on the right groove and kicked her heels off as the song started.

_Take me out, tonight  
_

Juvia skipped back over to Gray and stuck her hand out cheerfully. "C'mon, Gray-sama, let's dance!"

_Where there's music and there's people  
And they're young and alive _

Gray rolled his eyes. "Nah… I'll pass." He was not trying to dance right now, even if no one was watching. Not his style. Though he will admit, he loves the hell out of this song. _  
_

_Driving in your car  
I never never want to go home  
Because I haven't got one  
Anymore _

Juvia however didn't take no for an answer. Not while she was still a little liquored up. "Gray-sama…" She said, reaching for his hand, forcing him up on his feet. "Let's dance!"

"Okay, okay!" Gray responded, chuckling and shaking his head.

_Driving in your car  
Oh, please don't drop me home  
Because it's not my home, it's their  
Home, and I'm welcome no more_

The two danced around the littered floor of Gray's apartment, swinging each other around playfully, laughing and smiling as they held each other's hands, losing themselves to the music that played out of the speakers. They both loved the song equally as much and took them back to the days when they would listen to these songs together when no one else around them would.

_And if a double-decker bus  
Crashes into us  
To die by your side  
Is such a heavenly way to die  
And if a ten-ton truck  
Kills the both of us  
To die by your side  
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine _

They continued to move until they heard the song coming to its end. They looked deeply into each other's eyes, swaying and moving to the sounds. Singing along as they prepared to repeat the mantra of the almost-title of the song as it faded out into the music, the singer's voice disappearing, reminding them of a very simple phrase.

_Oh, there is a light and it never goes out…  
There is a light and it never goes out…  
There is a light and it never goes out …  
There is a light and it never goes out…  
There is a light and it never goes out…  
There is a light and it never goes out…_

The song finally faded away and the next track came on. The two dancers stopped moving. Their bodies close to one another. Their laughter and joy dying down. They smiled, but gave each other awkward looks. Juvia had started to have trouble looking back at Gray, and so did the raven haired man. Their faces were actually very close to one another and neither were quite sure what to do next. All they knew was that these weird feelings were bubbling up inside each of them. Juvia knew what it was. She wasn't dumb when it came to something like this. But for Gray, well, he wasn't sure what he was feeling. All he knew was that it made him uncomfortable, especially when his best friend was involved.

Gray was finally able to step back a little and turned his head, hoping that Juvia wouldn't see his cheeks burning up. "Well… I, uh, haven't heard that one in a while." Gray awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Y-Yeah…" Juvia replied, looking away also feeling a little embarrassed. She bent down to grab her heels. "It's… why J-Juvia picked it. I remember how much we loved that song."

"It's, um, a really good song." Gray added.

A few moments of silence passed before anyone spoke, they just looked away from one another for a little.

"You can take the bed tonight. No need for you to drive home." Gray stated as he walked over towards the couch again, as it would be his bed for the night.

"N-No, it's okay. It's your bed and J-Juv-"

"Shut up, you always do this." Gray crashed and laid flat on his back. "You get the bed, simple as that. This couch is pretty comfortable anyway, he added, closing his eyes.

"Okay…" Juvia knew it was useless to put up a fight. She walked over to the bedroom door and opened the only room that remained clean in this place. She turned over to look at her beloved Gray. "Goodnight, Gray-sama…" She said softly.

Gray waved her off. "See you when I wake up."

Juvia giggled and entered his room, giving him one last look before closing the door.

Gray opened his eyes, lifted himself up and looked to the door of his room. He shook his head and scratched the back of it. "The hell is going on…?" He asked himself, thinking to the dance they shared. Why was she having this effect on him, he wondered.

"it's only ever with her… why?" He continued. He knew if people close to him heard him say that, they would have an answer. But it couldn't be that… could it?

Gray shook it off. "Nah, I don't fall in love." Gray reasoned with himself. "I gotta get my shit together…" Gray dropped himself back on the bed. "I don't feel this way about friends close to me." That's always been his thing when Juvia was involved. It just didn't make sense. And besides, it's never a good idea to be in love with a good friend. It ruins everything. Gray closed his eyes and nodded to himself. He knew he just had to kill whatever feelings were bubbling up inside of him. That way he could finally act normal around Juvia. He had to get some sleep. This isn't even worth losing any winks over. A waste of time! Gray very much agreed with his thoughts.

So why didn't he sleep for the next few hours?

* * *

**AN: **I know I said a couple times that I would do _Kings, _but when I started to work on this, all I could do was want to update this story. I don't know why, but this one is calling to me. Weird.

Well, I just hope I can update again soon. I'm sorry for the late update everyone! I love you all.

Review if you want, I'm just glad y'all still wanna read this.

The Smiths – "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"


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